Close to the red currant collection there is a live collection of gooseberry which is not even mentioned in the resolution of the Commission. The gooseberry collection consists of 242 accessions (521 plants) and covers an area of 0.6 hectares (planted in 1976-1980) plus 0,2 hectares (planted in 2010).

This collection comprises wild relatives and improved cultivars of various genetic and geographical origin, including those found by plant collecting missions. They are maintained in vivo and studied. The collection boasts 43 varieties received before and after the last World War from different countries of the world – the United States, Poland, the Netherlands, Great Britain, etc. – as well as Russian cultivars – pioneers of domestic gooseberry breeding.

The opinion of the Commission concerning a possibility of relocating the berry collections in a two-year period is erroneous. It takes no less than 3 years to grow a standard gooseberry seedling, because this crop takes root with difficulty and cannot grow up quickly because of its biological features. Besides, following its relocation to a permanent site it will be necessary to:

1.Guard the accessions from theft, and

2.Wait for the beginning of fruiting in order to make careful authenticity tests to avoid confusion or mistakes in identification.